Faculty & mentors

Every mentor at MBS has led inside a church — not merely written about one.

We do not hire academic theorists to teach the operations of ministry. Our faculty are practising senior pastors, executive pastors, planters who have launched more than once, ministry-focused accountants, safeguarding leads, and communications professionals who have served in real congregations for years.

Rev. Dr. Jonathan Ellison Faculty lead · Governance & Executive Program

Senior pastor of an established city church for twenty-two years. Board chair for a national denomination. Teaches every module on governance, board work, and the constitutional health of the church.

Pastor Margaret Okonjo Faculty · Church Planter Intensive

Planted three churches over eighteen years across two continents. Oversees the Planter Intensive and mentors first-year planters through the launch playbook.

David Rousseau, CPA Faculty · Finance & Audit

Chartered accountant serving churches and Christian non-profits for twenty years. Teaches the finance semester end to end — budget, monthly close, audit, and reserves.

Rev. Samuel Boateng Faculty · Small Church Rescue Track

Bivocational pastor of a village congregation of forty for the past twelve years. Teaches the Rescue Track with a bias toward simple systems and small-context dignity.

Claire Ferreira-Lima Faculty · Multi-Location Residency

Executive pastor of a five-campus church across two cities. Teaches the Residency with a specialty in federation, campus autonomy, and the operational hand-off when a lead pastor plants themselves out of a room.

Hannah Kwon Faculty · Safeguarding & Duty of Care

Safeguarding lead for a regional network of churches and a former social worker. Teaches the safeguarding module across all programs, with special focus on the small-church setting.

Rev. Thomas Nakamura Faculty · Online & Streaming Ministry

Founding pastor of a streaming-first church with a global online membership. Teaches the online pathway, with a specific focus on pastoral care and giving at distance.

Amara Ruiz Faculty · Communications & Brand

Communications director for a large city church and a former agency creative lead. Teaches the brand, communications, and digital-presence modules with a firm bias toward integrity over performance.

Rev. Peter Van der Merwe Faculty · Succession & Handover

Retired senior pastor who successfully handed his church to a younger leader. Now mentors senior pastors through the final semester on succession, hand-over, and the pastor's own next decade.

Faculty profiles above are representative of the standard of mentor MBS engages; specific assignments are made after admission based on your program and context.

How mentoring works

Substantive counsel, on a rhythm.

Every MBS student is matched to a primary mentor from the faculty. The rhythm depends on the program:

  • Ministry Executive Program: one 60-minute conversation per semester (four total), plus written mentor notes on every semester's capstone artifact.
  • Church Planter Intensive: weekly office-hour access, plus fortnightly 30-minute check-ins during your launch window.
  • Small Church Rescue Track: one 45-minute conversation per month, plus written responses on every artifact you submit.
  • Multi-Location Residency: a cohort of 24 seniors meets monthly with the residency panel; each participant also has a 1:1 mentor.

Mentors are matched not only by domain expertise but by the size and context of your church, so the counsel you receive is fitted to the ground you are on.